Nortel Networks announces enhanced contact center, self-service solutions. (Strategic Alliances).

Nortel Networks recently announced the availability of enhanced contact center and self-service solutions designed to help improve business results and build customer retention by meeting or exceeding customer demands. The announcement includes: expanded Internet Protocol (IP) contact center solutions; availability of VoiceXML; the validation of the Nortel Networks Symposium Communications Driver for Siebel 7; and enhanced capabilities for Symposium Express Call Center 4.2. The enhancements were added to provide benefits to customers by allowing them to more easily tap into new engagement applications, and by linking their customers more directly with the service or expertise they need while helping them to evolve to an engaged business that will promote additional benefits in the future. Nortel Networks IP Contact Center solutions are now compatible with Succession Communications Server for Enterprise (CSE) 1000. Additional enhancements include: peer IP networking for distribution of calls between nodes in S uccession CSE1000-based networked contact center solutions; survivable branch office solutions, enabling greater distribution of agents and centralization of applications; "Private Zone," which enables reservation of voice gateway channels for resource-critical IP agent phones; power over Ethernet; and IP call recording API (applications programming interface). The Nortel Networks VoiceXML offering was designed to extend the applications development capabilities of Nortel Networks self-service solutions by offering a dual application development environment on Nortel Networks MPS 1000 platform. It runs simultaneously with PeriProducer applications on the same Nortel Networks self-service platform, helping enable customers to create applications using the VoiceXML industry-standard language, PeriProducer, or a combination of both. Symposium Communications Driver for Siebel 7 has been validated by Siebel Systems. The solution aims to simplify integration of Siebel eBusiness Applications into the contact center to minimize risks and deliver new capabilities. This integration, validated and documented by the Siebel Validation Program, can help increase the overall effectiveness of the contact center by delivering agent tools that can help improve customer service. The Siebel Validation Program applies technical scrutiny to evaluate the integration of third-party solutions with Siebel eBusiness Applications.